Coronavirus: Kerala High Court stays govt order on salary cuts

While hearing a batch of petitions filed by a section of government employees, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas of the Kerala High Court on Tuesday stayed for two months the operationalisation of the state government’s order to deduct the salary of government employees for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

Kochi (Kerala):The Kerala High Court on Tuesday stayed for two months the operationalisation of the state government’s order to deduct the salary of government employees for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas issued the interim order considering a batch of petitions filed by a section of employees and their organisations challenging the government decision.

In its order, the government had said the state government employees' salary for six days every month would be deducted for the next five months.

"This would be applicable to employees of all state-owned Enterprises, Public Sector Undertakings, Quasi-Government organisations, Universities, etc in the state," the order had said.

However, it had made it clear that there will be no salary cut for the staff that earns less than Rs 20,000 per month.

The order also stated that ministers, MLAs, members of state boards, local bodies, and commissions would receive 30 per cent less salary for one year.

With PTI inputs